Every morning I wake up in
pain. I wiggle my toes. Good. They still obey. I open my
eyes. Good. I can see. Everything hurts but I get dressed.
I walk down to the ocean. Good. It's still there. Now my
day can start. About tomorrow, I never know. After all, I'm
eighty-nine. I can't live forever.
-Anonymous
It was a cold, blistery afternoon
as I knocked on the door of a sole-practitioner's country law
office. This anticipated meeting being the direct result of an
attorney's call to me regarding issues on retirement. As the
door opened, I was greeted with a warm smile from a vivacious
82 year old man. John Doe, Esquire was his name.
Mr. Doe invited me to have a seat
in his small; but toasty and bright two room office. Immediately
as we began to chat, it dawned on me that on this December afternoon
I was about to embark on compelling, as well as compassionate,
account of a successful man and a successful attorney. I realized
too that Mr. Doe, through the passages of life, was an individual
who could teach us all about surviving life, maintaining a successful
law practice, and aging with grace and wisdom. His story was
truly an invigorating celebration of courage and stamina.
John Doe was born in an eastern
steel town of Pennsylvania of middle-class parents. Born in 1922,
John lived through the perils of growing up in the great depression.
Upon graduation from college, John answered the call of Uncle
Sam and joined the Army. John soon found himself an infantry
soldier on the shores of Omaha Beach fighting the Nazis and liberating
France. With a lot of prayers, a lot of luck and a strong steel
town upbringing, John survived this ordeal. He was discharged
successfully from the Army and returned to Pennsylvania where
he married his high-school sweet-heart.
Soon thereafter, they left Pennsylvania
for Maryland. John decided on a professional career in the law
and chose to attend law school in Baltimore. After a grueling
schedule of working full-time and attending school at night,
John passed the Maryland Bar in 1953. A humble man by nature,
John credits his mentors with the advice that he set-up a practice
in country. Remember, this was pre-695. So, the country then;
is not necessarily the country today.
In any event, soon both John's personal
and professional life flourished. In fact and as the years passed,
the good-times seemed to outweigh the bad. Soon, John was truly
living the American Dream. He was at the right place at the right
time! John's son even attended law school and began to practice
with his Dad.
Through the seasons, and through
the years, as John's life unfolded there were hard turns and
some dead ends; but with the support of his family and peers
John maneuvered the storms successfully.
During one period in life, however,
this was particularly difficult. John's son was diagnosed and
subsequently died of cancer. One cannot begin to imagine the
pain and suffering of losing your only child. Still, John carried
his troubles, like a heavy load and continued to work while dealing
with his grief. Eventually, John, with the support of family
and friends, worked through his grief, started to heal, and began
to encourage others to do the same.
We often hear lawyers referred to
as problem-solvers. However, it is important to realize that
even if a lawyer is highly successful in treating a client's
dilemma, it is often difficult for the professional to address
his/her own problems. Often, I refer to this as the shoemaker
syndrome. Remember the story growing up of the shoemaker
who had time to fix everyone else's shoes but his own.
Conversely, John found the tools
and skills to deal with traumatizing life while continuing a
successful life and practice. I asked John: "How did you survive
such ordeals and yet maintain your own health and stamina through
the 50 plus years of practicing law.
John offered the following advice
from a very old card that was affixed to his wall:
- Take Time To Think: It is the
source of power.
- Take Time To Play: It is the
secret of perpetual youth
- Take Time To Read: It is the
fountain of wisdom
- Take Time To Pray: It is the
greatest power on earth.
- Take Time To Love and Beloved:
It is a god-given privilege.
- Take Time To Be Friendly: It
is the road to happiness.
- Take Time To Laugh: It is the
music of the soul.
- Take Time To Give: It is too
short a day to be selfish.
- Take Time To Work: It is the
price of success.
And remember: Life is a long and
bumpy road. We each carry our troubles, like a heavy load. There
are many hard turns and some dead ends, but whenever we are stuck,
we must try again!
After our visit, I left John's office
with renewed spirit and gratitude. Of course, we have planned
subsequent meetings until such time as John closes his practice.
With encouragement, however, I hope that John continues to give
back to the profession that he actively pursued, without a single
grievance, for more than 50 years. Similarly, John may not live
forever, nor practice law in the years to come, but it is clearly
evident that John still has so much to offer his beloved profession.
As a mentor , John has the enormous experience, wisdom and grace
to teach us all about the profession and how to age with grace
and wisdom.
For more information about retirement,
work/life and other issues contact call the MSBA'S Lawyer Assistance
Program or e-mail cwaldhauser@msba.org.
References:
Number Our Days, Barbara Myerhoff, Simon and Schuster,
New York., p.1/
